Ch Ch Ch Ch Chilli Jam

if you love cheese as much as i do and love a bit of chutney with your crackers and like a bit of spice this is for you !! I grew homegrown chillies to make mine with but i must confess i had to buy a few more to add in as you do need quite a lot to make this recipe, I got about 6 small jars out of it though, so you could always half or even quarter the recipe. Unless you make this as a christmas gift and give it away which is what i'm doing (homemade hampers all the way)

Ingredients:

150g red chillies (deseeded and chopped up into large chunks - use plastic gloves to stop the chilli getting on your fingers)

150g red pepper (again deseeded and chopped into big chunks)
1kg Jam Sugar
600ml Cider Vinegar
6x 250ml Jars

How to ...

Sterilize your jars
put your chillies and peppers into the food processor and blitz until you get fine flecks of chili
dissolve the sugar in the vinegar slowly over a low heat (you do need quite a large pan)
DO NOT STIR - let it dissolve on its own
add the chili mixture to the pan and bring to the boil for 10 minutes
take off heat and allow to cool
leave to thicken for about 40 minutes
then ladle into the jars and seal tightly

Keep you jam in a cool dark place for  up to a year, but once opened it needs keeping in the fridge and it should keep for about a month.

who likes a low fat dessert thats tasty ???

I DO !! this one was goooooooood !!

This is a FROZEN STRAWBERRY MERINGUE CAKE

Ingredients:                                                              For the Coulis:
low fat cooking spray                                              200g Strawberries (chopped finely)
150g amaretti biscuits (crushed)                             1 tbs Icing Sugar
50g low fat spread, melted
2 egg whites
60g caster sugar
250g ripe strawberries (chopped finely)
1 tbs lemon juice 
1 tsp vanilla extract

You need a springform 9 inch tin for this one lined with baking paper

Spray the lined tray with cooking spray
mix together the biscuits with the low fat spread in a bowl and push into the bottom of the tray
Stick in the fridge until needed
put your egg whites and whisk until stiff peaks form (you need a very very clean bowl)
add the sugar a little at a time and whisk to mix it in
fold in the strawbs, lemon juice and vanilla
spoon mixture on top and  spread out evenly with a spatula or palette knife
freeze for 3 hours 
make the coulis by blitzing the strawberries and sugar in a blender (you can sieve it if you want it pip free but i left them in)
remove from freezer 20 minutes before serving
slice and serve with drizzled coulis
if you slice this pud into 8 pieces each slice is only 4 weight watchers pro points
and an 8th is a fairly big slice  - yummy "healthy" pud !! :)

lovely leeks and homegrown too

These leeks are so simple yet so delicious ... 5 ingredients in total. 

leeks           veg stock cube             water                butter             wine 

melt the butter in the pan (quite a big lump but really you can use what you need - butter is key though i dont think low fat spray would produce the same flavour, cut up your leeks, (I used 4 medium leeks - they shrink no end) keep stirring the leeks on a low heat, then the star ingredient: the wine, this added a gorgeous undertone to these buttery leeks ... I had a small glass full left in the bottle and i used that, crumble in the stock cube and simmer. I added water as need, a little at a time depending on how dry your leeks are getting,  and i cooked until the leeks were softnened! mmmm mmm I served these with sausage and mash, but literally i think they'd go with any roast meet or anything.